Leader of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, has rubbished claims made by Prof. Banji Akintoye, the Alana of Ilana Omo Oduduwa, on Tuesday, December 22, stating that the Yorubas will have their independence from Nigeria soon without bloodshed. Shettima believes that the agitations for a sovereign Yoruba nation are mere threats. Akintoye had on Tuesday said:
The Yoruba journey to redemption has started, and soonest, we are going to reach our Canaan land without any bloodshed
Banji Akintoye
Shettima noted that Banji’s statement ‘’does not mean well for the country.’’
It is just a mere threat as far as I am concerned, and I don’t wish it to be true. That kind of statement does not mean well for the country. It is not a comment that should come from positive-minded people. I have a lot of respect for him, and people like him have the mental capacity to be advising the nation. If we think it is because Buhari is there today, it could be you or me tomorrow. It could be anybody from other regions rather than the North. That’s why I am one of those calling for restructuring. The central government is weak. It can’t hold the country together. But we can be better together
Yerima Shettima
Reacting to rumours making the rounds on social media that he plans to assemble a terror group against the Eastern and Western parts of the country if Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of South-Eastern secessionist group, IPOB (Indigenous People Of Biafra) fails to disband the newly formed Eastern Security Network in seven days, Shettima stated that he has always been an advocate of peace, citing elements aiming to destabilize the country as responsible for such allegations.
I am an advocate of peace between the North and the South. My political associates know me in the struggle for peace and unity. Some people are just using that to destabilise the country. A time will come when the truth will be revealed. Nigerians must know that I cannot be used because I have never been part of violence and will never be in the future. I have always been part of peace in the country. It is true that things are not good, and nobody is happy but that doesn’t mean we should destroy the country. I am not part of the problem
Shettima
Source
Sahara Reporters
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